May Day – a celebration of workers and their rights

You definitely know that today is a holiday because the school holidays are named after it!

It commemorates the bloody protests of workers in Chicago in 1886 who fought against intolerable conditions.

At that time they worked in factories from sun up to sun down yet received extremely low salaries.

Through protests they demanded an eight-hour workday and political rights, but their demands were hindered by the police.

Three years later, at the international workers’ congress in Paris, they decided to organize celebrations and protests on this day every year.

May Day thus became a holiday for all workers, and it is one of the most important holidays after World War II.

The festive day usually started very early in the morning with a workers’ marching band, which all major cities and industrial centers had.

People celebrated in the streets. They were dressed in their best clothes. They pinned the symbol of the working class and the revolution on their chests – a red carnation.

The day ended with the lighting of bonfires and a celebration.

May 1^st has always been one of the most popular holidays for Slovenes. It has been celebrated in all major cities for 123 years.

It was made a national public holiday in 1948. Since 1955, May 2^nd has also been a day off.

Today May Day bonfires are popular among young people.

Many bonfires are lit on the eve of the holiday and are often accompanied by music and entertainment.

Many places around Slovenia have “Prvomajska budnica” – when a marching band wakes everyone up early in the morning on May 1^st.

Points to Consider

1. Do you know any other May Day traditions?
2. What do you usually do over the May Day holidays?
3. Will you visit the bonfire?

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The original version of this article was published on May 1^st.